Container



June 8, 194 3. -E, w, WELLS 252 536 CONTAINER Filed Oct. 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ZELrZe 11/. wells E. w. WELLS June 8, 1943.

CONTAINER Filed 001;. 11, 194-0 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 8, 1943 Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 11]., a corporation oi Delaware Application October 11 1940, Serial No. 360,738

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-23) The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to an open top, tray-type of container adapted to be formed from flexible sheet material such as paperboard or so-called solid fibre board.

One object of the invention is to provide an extremely sturdy and rigid form of paperboard container having a reinforced upper edge designed to maintain its shape even though subiected to severe and frequent distortional stresses tending to crush or otherwise distort the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the type described having finger openings in certain walls, the openings being disposed below and in conjunction with the top edge reinforcement whereby handle elements are provided enabling the container readily to be carried in the hands and whereby, if desired, a relatively heavily loaded container can be carried by meansiof a single handle element without the likelihood of the container losing shape.

To these and other ends theipresent invention resides in certain improvements in combination of parts as will-be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of one form of inner reinforcing element employed with the container;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the container main. body blank; and v Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank providing a supplementary bottom panel and end panels.

The present invention provides an effective form of reinforced container which is constructed of relatively few parts easy to assemble,

to form a container which will carry relatively heavy: loads and withstand much hard usage without becoming torn or losing its shape. The container is particularly well adapted for use as a beverage bottle carrier as well as for the transportation and storage of even heavier materials such as finished or partly finished metal parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

taken CJI scored to provide side walls l and II and a principal bottom panel l2.

For the purpose of securing the blank 6 to the main body blank 5, there are preferably pro-.

vided on blank attaching flaps [3.14 and i5 on panels iii, and I2, respectively. -These flaps.

as indicated in Fig. 1, are brought into overlying position to the edges of end panels 8 and 9 in which position they are preferably held by securing nieans'such as staples i6, It

In order to provide a. reinfoiced upper edge entirely around the container both the body blank 5 and supplemental blank 6 are providedv with narrow panel portions indicated at l8, l8 and l9, l9, respectively. These narrow panel portions are cut at their ends along diagonal lines indicated at 20, 20 and 2t, 2| so as to provide for a relatively close fit of the ends of the narrow panels at the corners of the container after the panels have been brought into a position at right angles to their attached walls.

The narrow panels [8, l8 are preferably secured by additional parts 22 and 23 in the position indicated in Fig. 1. The part 22, as indicated in Fig. 1, extends downwardly and outwardly at an acute angle to the inner face of the wall upon which it is located so as to bring 25, 25 extend, as in the case of the part 22, downthe container is preferably formed of two blanks.

one being a main body blank indicated generally at 5, and the other blank indicated generally at 6 providing a supplemental bottom I and end walls 8 and 9. The main body blank is suitably wardly and outwardly at an acute angle to the inner face of the respective walls 8 and 9 so as to bring the parts 26, 26 into flatwise relation to such walls. In this position the parts 26, 26 can be secured to the respective walls (I and 9, as by means of staples 21, 21. I

It is to be observed that the parts [8, l8 and l9, {9 form a flattened ledge of appreciable width entirely around the upper edges of the container.

The walls 8 and 9 are preferably provided with finger openings 28 and 29 formed by cutting out tab portions 30 and 3| preferably folded upwardly after the parts I9, 25 and 26 are in their final position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The parts 30 and 3| are secured in upwardly directed position by means of staples 32, 32. See Figs. 1 and 2.' Due to the construc-' tion just described, there is provided a gripping portion comprising three thicknesses of material which serve to form a comfortable and con-- These tab portions are venient handle for the operator desiring to carry the container.

For this purpose there are provided suitable angle elements 34, along the sides, and similar angle elements 35, 35 along the ends of the container. In the present instance, these angle elements are formed of metal and are secured together to provide a rectangular frame, the securing of the parts being preferably done by spot welding, as indicated at 36. In assembling the reinforcing frame with the container, the blanks and I are secured together by folding the end flaps l3, l4 and I5 around the end walls 8 and 8 and securing them by means of staples, as described above. The metallic angle frame is then placed in position so that the horizontally directed webs of the angle members are in line with the upper edges of the side and end walls. The panels I8, I! and l9, l9 are then folded down and secured, as above described, thereby encasing the angle frame within the spaces or pockets provided by the construction of the upper edge portions of the box; The rectangular reinforcing frame is preferably of such size as to closely fit the interior of the side walls of the container and the width of the horizontal web is preferably such as to be snugly fitted between the surfaces of the side and end walls and their respective attached portion 22 and 25. By this arrangement the rectangular frame is firmly secured in fixed position to the upper portions of the container although no securing means for fastening the rectangular frame tothe container is required other than a contact provided by the side and end walls and their attached parts. i

The construction of the container of the present invention provides for a high degree of strength and durability and enables heavily loaded containers to be stacked one upon the other without danger of collapsing. The construction of the parts at the finger openingprovides a strong and sturdly handle that not only facilitates handling of the container but at the same time further reinforces the construction of the container and walls. By forming the container of two separate blanks, both of which are provided with bottom panels there is provided a container that will stand a large amount of severe handling. The provision of attaching flaps on the main body blank 5 provides corner reinforcing members extending from the bottom of the box upwardly to the ends of the reinforced portions at the upper edges of the container walls, whereby such upper edge reinforcements provide hori- '-zontal tresses, the ends of which are anchored to the comer reinforcement.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, numerous changes may be made in the construction without deviating from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention. 1

I claim: I

1. A container comprising a bottom and four interconnected side walls, each having an integral extension on its upper end providing an inwardly directed panel, a downwardly extending, outwardly inclined part integral with the inwardly directed panel, a downwardly extending part connected with said inclined part and secured to its supporting wall, whereby pockets are formed at the upper edge portions of the container walls, and a rectangular frame of angle material having a lateral web contacting the under surface of the inwardly extending panels, the width of the lateral web being sufllcient to fit snugly between the inner surfaces of the container walls and the downwardly and outwardly inclined part connected to the inwardly extending panel, whereby the rectangular'frame is held in fixed relation to the upper end portions of the container walls without additional securing means.

2. A container comprising a bottom, four interconnected walls, a rigid, rectangular, reinforcing frame of angle material having a vertical web extending entirely around the walls and contacting the inner surfaces thereof adjacent their upper edges and having a lateral web extending inwardly at substantially the level of the upper edges of said walls, narrow panel portions extending inwardly from the upper edges of said walls and engaging the lateral webs of the rectangular frame, extended portions on the inner edges of the narrow-panel portions downwardly and outwardly inclined toward the inner surfaces of their supporting Walls, and means for securing said downwardly and outwardly inclined extensions to said walls, whereby pockets are formedon the upper edge portions of said opposed walls, the width of the lateral web portions of the rectangular frame being such as to fit within the pockets with the inner edge of the lateral webs bearing on the downwardly and-inwardly inclined extensions, whereby the rectangular frame is held in fixed relation to said walls.

EARLE W/WELLS. 

